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[ithorien]

Yeah no crucial doesn't hold up to intel and OCZ right now.

Unless you're a first time user. In which case it's the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Zel3]

Yes. No.
I can't get 4 on my 930, 4.1 and 4.2 no problem but voltages to high for everyday use. 3.97 is what I'm stuck at.

I'm going to try 4ghz later. I really don't want to go above a 1.3vcore. >_>

 

[MikeTyson]

Thank you everyone for your opinions. Very helpful thread going to venture into PC gaming soon.

 

[FreakinSyco]

Update on my i5-2500k

After putting everything together and using prime95 on the stock cooler my temps were too high. So I ordered a Hyper 212 that came in last Wednesday. I spent Friday messing with OCing.

For the moment I'm at 4.4Ghz at 1.3 volts. Temps run around 68c under full load everything tested stable.

I was having some issues with changing settings in the BIOS on my P8P67 and then having the ASUS program under windows change them back. I've found the best OC results by uninstalling all the ASUS apps for both my video card and mobo and ocing from the bios for the mobo and ATI overdrive functionality for my 6950.

 

[Dynamic3]

So I have an MSI P67A-GD55 and G-Skill Ripjaws RAM. I can't seem to fit my fan on my 212+ on the right side of the fins blowing in as the RAM is in the way. I have the RAM in the blue slots.

Anyone in a similar situation or have any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Corky]

if they have heatsinks you could always unscrew them, on the ram that is.

 

[EricHasNoPull]

GAF I need a GPU to mostly play Crysis 2 and Just Cause 2,

my budget is $200 or less (Canadian dollars, which is pretty much the same as US dollars)

Can people here please recommend me the best Video Card money can buy for 200 or less?

My current card is the Nvidea 9600GT, and I like the idea of using it solely for the Physix engine ( post I just read two pages back)

So yes please recommend me a great card for that price, that is proven to work well with Crysis 2 and Just Cause 2. thanks

 

[Corky]

GAF I need a GPU to mostly play Crysis 2 and Just Cause 2,

my budget is $200 or less (Canadian dollars, which is pretty much the same as US dollars)

Can people here please recommend me the best Video Card money can buy for 200 or less?

My current card is the Nvidea 9600GT, and I like the idea of using it solely for the Physix engine ( post I just read two pages back)

So yes please recommend me a great card for that price, that is proven to work well with Crysis 2 and Just Cause 2. thanks

Well, for 200$ you could get a 6870. Look up some benchs and see if that corresponds with your critera of " working well with crysis 2 and just cause 2 "

 

[ithorien]

Update on my i5-2500k

After putting everything together and using prime95 on the stock cooler my temps were too high. So I ordered a Hyper 212 that came in last Wednesday. I spent Friday messing with OCing.

For the moment I'm at 4.4Ghz at 1.3 volts. Temps run around 68c under full load everything tested stable.

I was having some issues with changing settings in the BIOS on my P8P67 and then having the ASUS program under windows change them back. I've found the best OC results by uninstalling all the ASUS apps for both my video card and mobo and ocing from the bios for the mobo and ATI overdrive functionality for my 6950.

You have the exact same results as me. I didn't even bother with the Asus program, I'd rather OC on the BIOS level.

 

[mkenyon]

Well, for 200$ you could get a 6870. Look up some benchs and see if that corresponds with your critera of " working well with crysis 2 and just cause 2 "

I agree with this. Had the same budget for a scratch build, went with the 6870. Great price point for an excellent card.

 

[scogoth]

So I have an MSI P67A-GD55 and G-Skill Ripjaws RAM. I can't seem to fit my fan on my 212+ on the right side of the fins blowing in as the RAM is in the way. I have the RAM in the blue slots.

Anyone in a similar situation or have any ideas? Thanks.

Put fan on other side or mount the fan slightly higher on the 212+

 

[Saren is Bad]

Ok guise, I managed to get my i7 2600k for free, along with 200$ worth of stuff from Amazon, then with 10% off and combo deals at Newegg I saved another 100$. So over all I've saved around 800$ on a machine that was gunna cost me 1500$.

I've decided to just reinvest the 800$ I saved to make my computer even more of a screamer, but I need some help. I plan on getting the huge Corsair 800D case and an 850W PSU, and here are the graphic card choices I have:

Radeon 6990
GTX 590
GTX 570 x2

I've read that the SLI 570's are the best performance wise, I so wanted to get some more opinions on it. Which should I choose? I have the P8P67 Pro, so I'm assuming I can do all this SLI shit, and I'm assuming 850W is enough power.

If I get yelled at enough I'll probably just go back to my original idea: an EVGA GTX 580 SC for around 520$.

 

[MatthewB92]

Ok gaf I'm about to get a job so that means it's time for me to build a PC. Now I have two questions(Or 3) but I'll ask them after posting the stuff I want to get.
Now first the parts.
Mother Board
Ram
CPU
Fan
Graphics Card
Hard Drive
CD/DVD
Case

Now by now you are saying one of the two,"Where is the power supply?" or "WTF is wrong with you?".
If you said "Where is the power supply?", I don't know how to pick one lol. The graphics card says it needs at less 500W. So what do I go for like a 600w? I have no clue what to pick when it comes to the power supply.
Now if you said "WTF is wrong with you?", it might be because you hate all the blue LEDs or something isn't compatible. So I would like to know what isn't and how I could fix it.
Those are my questions and if you have any suggestions please tell me.
That's it I think.


Edit: Should add I'm not looking to play crisis 2 at very high and all that just want to play games at a frame rate that's like 40+. IDK if I'll get a monitor or not because I'm most likely just going to use my 19" 720p TV.

 

[LaneDS]

Could anyone recommend a site (if one exists) where I could compare my current CPU (a C2D E6750) to one of the Sandy Bridge Core i7 chips? I was looking into upgrading to a Core 2 Quad but since they're long since out of production they're not priced at a point that really makes sense to drop money on, so I'm considering upgrading to the latest and greatest but am curious to see what kind of performance increase I might expect.

Any advice is of course appreciated.

 

[LegoDad]

My PSU (Antec Truepower 750w modular) makes a pretty annoying buzzing sound whenever I run any games or applications like 3dmark and is perfectly silent otherwise.

It's been like this since I got it with my new PC but I'm thinking I should RMA it to be safe?

My corsair started doing that as well. I RMA'd the power supply and no whining/buzzing sound. Think it was Capacitor whine.

 

[scogoth]

Ok guise, I managed to get my i7 2600k for free, along with 200$ worth of stuff from Amazon, then with 10% off and combo deals at Newegg I saved another 100$. So over all I've saved around 800$ on a machine that was gunna cost me 1500$.

I've decided to just reinvest the 800$ I saved to make my computer even more of a screamer, but I need some help. I plan on getting the huge Corsair 800D case and an 850W PSU, and here are the graphic card choices I have:

Radeon 6990
GTX 590
GTX 570 x2

I've read that the SLI 570's are the best performance wise, I so wanted to get some more opinions on it. Which should I choose? I have the P8P67 Pro, so I'm assuming I can do all this SLI shit, and I'm assuming 850W is enough power.

If I get yelled at enough I'll probably just go back to my original idea: an EVGA GTX 580 SC for around 520$.

If anything 2x 570 or 2x 580!!

 

[scogoth]

Ok gaf I'm about to get a job so that means it's time for me to build a PC. Now I have two questions(Or 3) but I'll ask them after posting the stuff I want to get.
Now first the parts.
Mother Board
Ram
CPU
Fan
Graphics Card
Hard Drive
CD/DVD
Case

Now by now you are saying one of the two,"Where is the power supply?" or "WTF is wrong with you?".
If you said "Where is the power supply?", I don't know how to pick one lol. The graphics card says it needs at less 500W. So what do I go for like a 600w? I have no clue what to pick when it comes to the power supply.
Now if you said "WTF is wrong with you?", it might be because you hate all the blue LEDs or something isn't compatible. So I would like to know what isn't and how I could fix it.
Those are my questions and if you have any suggestions please tell me.
That's it I think.


Edit: Should add I'm not looking to play crisis 2 at very high and all that just want to play games at a frame rate that's like 40+. IDK if I'll get a monitor or not because I'm most likely just going to use my 19" 720p TV.

Hyper 212+ for cooler, not sure about CPU going to have to get some AMD gaffers to advise on that one. 600W is more then enough.

 

[Outdoor Miner]

Could anyone recommend a site (if one exists) where I could compare my current CPU (a C2D E6750) to one of the Sandy Bridge Core i7 chips? I was looking into upgrading to a Core 2 Quad but since they're long since out of production they're not priced at a point that really makes sense to drop money on, so I'm considering upgrading to the latest and greatest but am curious to see what kind of performance increase I might expect.

Any advice is of course appreciated.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/60?vs=288

 

[MatthewB92]

Hyper 212+ for cooler, not sure about CPU going to have to get some AMD gaffers to advise on that one. 600W is more then enough.

Hyper is cheaper and also has goo reviews so I will go with that. Thanks

 

[·feist·]

Ok gaf I'm about to get a job so that means it's time for me to build a PC. Now I have two questions(Or 3) but I'll ask them after posting the stuff I want to get.
Now first the parts.
Mother Board
Ram
CPU
Fan
Graphics Card
Hard Drive
CD/DVD
Case

Now by now you are saying one of the two,"Where is the power supply?" or "WTF is wrong with you?".
If you said "Where is the power supply?", I don't know how to pick one lol. The graphics card says it needs at less 500W. So what do I go for like a 600w? I have no clue what to pick when it comes to the power supply.
Now if you said "WTF is wrong with you?", it might be because you hate all the blue LEDs or something isn't compatible. So I would like to know what isn't and how I could fix it.
Those are my questions and if you have any suggestions please tell me.
That's it I think.


Edit: Should add I'm not looking to play crisis 2 at very high and all that just want to play games at a frame rate that's like 40+. IDK if I'll get a monitor or not because I'm most likely just going to use my 19" 720p TV.

If you live near a Micro Center, you should consider one of these instead:

$100 - Intel Core i3 2100
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0359809

$100 - AMD Phenom II X4 840
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0357031

More so the AMD if you intend to overclock, or the Intel if you do any encoding or video work.

And a case along the lines of this one:

$35 - Cooler Master Elite 430
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0339423

 

[AwesomeSauce]

do it, the phat has a high chanse of dying anyway i think.

but that pc is pretty good, you could sell the graphics card and go for a 5770 and have a realy nice pc.
iv had that cpu and its pretty good. actually i had the 965 but still, its a really good cpu.

Totally disregard what this guy is telling you to do. That 6850 in the system is faster than the 5770.

Thank you everyone for your opinions. Very helpful thread going to venture into PC gaming soon.

Be sure to also have someone check out the system. I mean if the person is your friend and trustworthy than screw what i said, but since you don't really know computer parts he could be lying and actually trading you a POS and just gave you those specs since you wouldn't know the difference.

 

[MatthewB92]

If you live near a Micro Center, you should consider one of these instead:

$100 - Intel Core i3 2100
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0359809

$100 - AMD Phenom II X4 840
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0357031

More so the AMD if you intend to overclock, or the Intel if you do any encoding or video work.

And a case along the lines of this one:

$35 - Cooler Master Elite 430
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0339423

Closest one is like 3 hours away but I see that CPU at newegg for $109 so I think I'll go with that.
The case I like but I'll flip a coin on which one to get

 

[Utako]

Vertex 3 -> Speed
Intel 510 -> Reliability* (based on previous generations of intel ssds)
and whos the third? crucial? Yeah no crucial doesn't hold up to intel and OCZ right now.

Thank you, sir.

 

[·feist·]

Closest one is like 3 hours away but I see that CPU at newegg for $109 so I think I'll go with that.
The case I like but I'll flip a coin on which one to get

$40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&Tpk=Elite 430
$43
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003O8J11E/?tag=neogaf0e-20

That Elite 430 is just to give you a general idea of some of the other options in that price range. Since you're going for a gaming PC, it's better if you don't pick something with the type of top-mounted PSU that the Elite 310 has.

Depending on your budget, there are a few other case suggestions in the OP.

 

[MatthewB92]

$40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&Tpk=Elite 430
$43
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003O8J11E/?tag=neogaf0e-20

That Elite 430 is just to give you a general idea of some of the other options in that price range. Since you're going for a gaming PC, it's better if you don't pick something with the type of top-mounted PSU that the Elite 310 has.

Depending on your budget, there are a few other case suggestions in the OP.

Didn't even thing about going to amazon to look for stuff! Thanks think I will go with that.

 

[Shambles]

If you live near a Micro Center, you should consider one of these instead:

$100 - Intel Core i3 2100
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0359809

$100 - AMD Phenom II X4 840
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0357031

More so the AMD if you intend to overclock, or the Intel if you do any encoding or video work.

And a case along the lines of this one:

$35 - Cooler Master Elite 430
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0339423

Even if overclocking I don't know if the 840 (Which should really be called an Athlon) can compete with the 2100. Correct me if I'm wrong but even though the non-K parts aren't unlocked can't you bump up non-K parts 4 bins? Basically AMD doesn't even compete on budget parts anymore unless you're looking for a uber cheap dual core+motherboard for as absolutely as little as possible. They really need to push their new parts out the door.

 

[mclaren777]

And so it begins...

 

[MoxManiac]

Damn, when did mobo packaging become so sexy?

 

[scogoth]

Any news on LucidLogix Virtu on Z68?

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

I was going to ask if you lived in Taiwan until I noticed the watermark. Taiwan computer shops are so godlike. I think everybody in this thread would geek out in one, hope you all get a chance to visit someday.

 

[LaneDS]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/60?vs=288

Excellent, thank you much.

Difference was a lot greater than I expected, so I think I'm convinced upgrading is the way to go.

 

[NeoandGeo]

How is the cost to build a PC in the heart of the main manufacturing country?

 

[·feist·]

Even if overclocking I don't know if the 840 (Which should really be called an Athlon) can compete with the 2100. Correct me if I'm wrong but even though the non-K parts aren't unlocked can't you bump up non-K parts 4 bins? Basically AMD doesn't even compete on budget parts anymore unless you're looking for a uber cheap dual core+motherboard for as absolutely as little as possible. They really need to push their new parts out the door.

I keep harping on that because it's fairly dishonest on AMD's part. The non-Ks can be overclocked, but, obviously, nowhere near what people would expect.

The 2100 does beat the 840 in encoding type tasks, single-threaded applications, and a lot of CPU bound software. Overall, despite its pseudo-Phenom badge and cache issues, I'd give it the slight edge over the 2100 once you overclock. At least 3.6-3.8 should be fairly easy, and then the overall performance pendulum swings back. Even with outdated architecture.

You know, I got some flack when I made this AMD Phenom vs Intel 1155 post shortly after the Sandy Bridge launch, but the reality is that things won't get better unless AM3+ Bulldozer 1, and FM1 Fusion (to a lesser extent) deliver.

And so it begins...

http://i.imgur.com/7Ws59.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1SiFU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TEeBu.jpg

GA-Z68X-UD7-B3

Gigabyte seems to be trying to get over by recycling as much of their P67 stock/components as possible, and forgetting that HDMI/DP/DVI/VGA are one of the main selling points of Z68.

Gigabyte Z68X-UD3P-B3

They should follow the lead of Asus, MSI and everyone else.

ASUS P8Z68-V Pro

At least the Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4H-B3 has video out.

 

[LaneDS]

Damn, Microcenter has some aggressive prices on their Core i series CPUs... I didn't expect them to be cheaper than Newegg and Amazon but (at least currently) they're much better. Might just go out tomorrow after work and pick up either an 2500k or 2600k. Not really sure if the extra $100 is worth the i7 or not... guessing most of the posters would say not.

 

[mhayze]

Vertex 3 -> Speed
Intel 510 -> Reliability* (based on previous generations of intel ssds)
and whos the third? crucial? Yeah no crucial doesn't hold up to intel and OCZ right now.

The Intel 510 is based on the same Marvell controller that current Crucial / Micron drives are using, but I would agree that the Intel will probably turn out to be the most reliable overall (statistically speaking), because of their firmware, testing and BoM / manufacturing guidelines.

In terms of ranking I agree with the first two choices; third choice, I'd say would be an existing Sandforce 2 drive or two, or maybe an intel 320 series, or older Crucial C300 drives, if you get a good enough bargain. It would have to be a significant discount over a Vertex 3 though.

Personally, I'd rather buy 2 x 120GB drives and run them in RAID 0, but I have a good automated nightly backup procedure and enough experience to deal with any hiccups that might occur. For people less willing to fiddle, a single Vertex 3 240GB should do quite nicely.

 

[Gvaz]

If I get two 2TB drives and put them in RAID 0 for max space, then come along later and put a third disk in can I easily change it to raid 5?

 

[scogoth]

If I get two 2TB drives and put them in RAID 0 for max space, then come along later and put a third disk in can I easily change it to raid 5?

Nope you'd have to erase all the data on the drives.

 

[black_vegeta]

Nope you'd have to erase all the data on the drives.

Which RAID will allow additional HDD's to be added down the line without having to erase everything?

 

[scogoth]

Which RAID will allow additional HDD's to be added down the line without having to erase everything?

None of them

 

[SuperSonic1305]

Seems like every time I fix a problem with my PC another one shows up. It's not even 1 year old yet and i've already had to replace the HDD and PSU. Now the memory is messed up. My Motherboard is

Gigabyte X58A-UD3R ATX LGA1366 X58 DDR3 4PCI-E SATA3 USB3.0 Sound GLAN CrossFireX SLI Motherboard

Can someone recommend some very good quality RAM. 8 gigs or more preferable.

 

[black_vegeta]

None of them

Thankfully this question was brought up before hand finish buying everything for my build.

 

[Gvaz]

Nope you'd have to erase all the data on the drives.

So... all drives have to be formatted first? That sure throws a wrench in my plans. I was hoping to get a 2tb fill it up (as backup storage) then get a second and third one and distribute the data.

Guess I'll have to delete everything off my existing drives and back up the backups on there, then move it back. Frustrating.

 

[InertiaXr]

With this Z68 coming out sometime soon, can anybody explain to me what it has that a basic P67 (that I have) doesn't have? I bought my mobo P8P67 at MicroCenter and got a letter a few days ago saying I can take it back for a full refund due to the SATA stuff, and if it would be worth it to me at that point to upgrade to Z68 that I would like to do so. I think I heard that Z68 isn't planning on being released until much later this year though? I only have until sometime in May to take it back so this is probably a moot point.

 

[black_vegeta]

I want to get the Windows 7 "Home" version, but which one of these?

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) OEM DVD 1 Pack

Windows 7 Home Premum 64 Bit System Builder 1pk [Old Version]

I'm not sure what the difference is between the 2.

 

[Velion]

I want to get the Windows 7 "Home" version, but which one of these?

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) OEM DVD 1 Pack

Windows 7 Home Premum 64 Bit System Builder 1pk [Old Version]

I'm not sure what the difference is between the 2.

1 already includes SP1 update, other one doesn't. So just get the first one.

 

[black_vegeta]

1 already includes SP1 update, other one doesn't. So just get the first one.

It says "SP1" right there, derp.

Thanks!

 

[TheExodu5]

Gigabyte Z68X-UD3P-B3

God that is such a sexy looking board.

 

[scogoth]

With this Z68 coming out sometime soon, can anybody explain to me what it has that a basic P67 (that I have) doesn't have? I bought my mobo P8P67 at MicroCenter and got a letter a few days ago saying I can take it back for a full refund due to the SATA stuff, and if it would be worth it to me at that point to upgrade to Z68 that I would like to do so. I think I heard that Z68 isn't planning on being released until much later this year though? I only have until sometime in May to take it back so this is probably a moot point.

Z68 supports the iGPU

 

[mojiimbo]

With this Z68 coming out sometime soon, can anybody explain to me what it has that a basic P67 (that I have) doesn't have? I bought my mobo P8P67 at MicroCenter and got a letter a few days ago saying I can take it back for a full refund due to the SATA stuff, and if it would be worth it to me at that point to upgrade to Z68 that I would like to do so. I think I heard that Z68 isn't planning on being released until much later this year though? I only have until sometime in May to take it back so this is probably a moot point.

IIRC the main thing is that it lets you use Intel's new Quick Sync feature(for super fast video encoding) while using an external videocard on the unlocked chips. Right now you can only use it on the locked H67 chips and integrated video has to be enabled. There's other improvements too but I forget what they are.

 

[Raw64life]

So for the motherboard impaired, am I understanding correctly that these new Z boards will be good for overclocking as well as come with an HDMI port? I'm hoping so because that's what I was looking for earlier but had it explained to me that it was either one of the other with P and H boards.